What Is Yoga?

What is
yoga, and what is it all about? In Sanskrit, which is the
ancient
language of India where yoga originated, Yoga means
"union". The practice of yoga is meant to unify the
mind,
body and spirit.

The Kinds of Yoga

There
are eight kinds of yoga, the majority of which put emphasis on mental
and spiritual well being, as well as physical activity. In
North
America, however, there is often more emphasis put on the physical
aspects of yoga, as opposed to the mental and spiritual. The
vast
majority of the yoga practiced in the west is probably best described
by the Sanskrit work asana,
which refers to the practice of physical postures and poses.

Bikram's Yoga

I've been a practicing yogi for almost four years now. The
kind of Yoga I practice is Bikram's Yoga,
which is yoga practiced in a very hot room. For myself, I
find it
really helps exercise my joints and ligaments, as well as stretching
out my muscles. In addition, I do find that it has a calming
effect on the mind. If I'm stressed about anything, I know
that a
yoga class is one of the best things for me.

Why I Consider Yoga
to be be an Animal
Exercise

I
consider yoga to be an animal exercise as it works your entire body as
a system, from the inside out. This is not surprising, as the
ancient yoga masters developed their theories and postures by observing
the natural world and the animals in it. Like all great
natural
exercises, yoga builds your body up and improves your internal
systems. I suspect this is particularly important as you get
older.

Although I am currently doing Bikram's yoga, there are
many other varieties out there for you to try. Personally, I
like
the hot room as it makes it easier for me to stretch (this is important
as I'm really inflexible). However, if this is not your
thing,
try another kind. I'm sure you'll find one to your liking.

Yoga and White People

On a lighter note, yoga ranks #15 on the list of
"Stuff White People Like". The link here is for the
blog, although there is a funnier entry in the recently released book.

There
are many health benefits to practicing yoga on a regular
bases.
For my, I really do believe that it works to build your entire body and
keep it healthy. This is opposed to most sports which
(although
beneficial in many other ways) tend to wear your body down.